Flagpole Sitta

@Scheherezade <br /> <br /> I think you are closest to having it right. The song opens with the section about the author seeing rottenness and evil in himself. Without context, we don't know why the author feels that way. Jump ahead to the 2nd and 3rd choruses which are extended by the line "... and it's a sin to live so well." The author feels rotten and evil because he lives so well. What's wrong with living well? The problem is that the vast majority of the world doesn't live well at all.<br /> <br /> I think the song is about the mental struggle of trying to live a normal, happy life while being aware of how horrible life is for most people on the planet. We live lives of frivolity and hypocrisy while people starve to death, or struggle for basic necessities, deal with constant malnutrition, crime, violence, political disenfranchisement and so on. The ones who have it decent in the 3rd world are working in sweatshops making pointless junk for us.<br /> <br /> The comment about stupid people breeding is a commentary about the teeming masses of people who participate happily and obliviously in first world culture seemingly unaware of the rottenness that the author sees in himself, others and the culture as a whole. The comment about the author not even owning a TV is a reference to him giving up on the culture entirely rather than trying to change it from within. He doesn't own a TV, he doesn't watch the news, he doesn't try to change the culture from within because he's outnumbered and out bred.<br /> <br /> He wants to publish zines (little magazines or blogs with limited distribution), rage against machines, pierce his tongue... he wants to rebel... but he's already given up. Hence, the trivial sublime. Turn off time and kill my mind is a reference to any form of escapism, though the author might be thinking of drugs in particular, it could be movies, games or anything else. As much as any of us might not participate in the mainstream culture, there are sub-cultures for everyone in the first world to distract themselves with.<br /> <br /> The lines about mental illness are a straightforward comment about his own reaction to the situation. A few lines are more obscure to me, but I think can fit into this general theme from on perspective or another. Only the author could tell you for certain what every word means. For example, perhaps the amputee reference is figurative. The author went to a shrink for mental help, ended up being committed and is now tagged as a mental case for the rest of his life which is crippling in a competitive world where background checks screen flawed individuals from the system.

@Scheherezade I would argue that the amputee line is referring to the loss of freedom from being "committed" after speaking their mind

I agree wholly with your interpretation. You did a great job of deciphering the more-than-he-can-handle angst of the narrator. I, too, think he's having a breakdown from not fitting in and not knowing what to do about it. This is one of my favorite songs ever because it's clever and deep and sad and funny and I just instinctively understand what he's feeling. My favorite line of the entire song: "Hear the voices in my head, I swear to God it sounds like they're snoring...." Cracks me up. Every time.

@Scheherezade <br /> <br /> Wow, outstanding dissection of these lyrics. <br /> I've had the experience of being involuntarily hospitalized, and drugged up with various medications (including multiple antipsychotics), and "diagnosed" (i.e. labeled) "mentally ill". It totally does bear a stigma (not as much as it used to, but still widespread), and that can have a pretty detrimental effect on how one sees oneself. I would describe it as a feeling of being damaged...being an aberration, a freak. Different, and not in a good way. <br /> When I was (over)medicated, I felt as though part of myself was missing. My personality no longer seemed my own & I couldn't feel my feelings anymore, if that makes sense. It was like an amputation, figuratively speaking. A soul amputation. <br /> Most people don't and can't really understand, unless they have had similar experiences.<br /> After having been "committed", I did not seek help again for quite some time due to my fear of the same exact thing happening again. Also, because of the way I experienced being "on meds", I am what psychiatrists and mental health workers call "resistant" to taking medication.

One of my favorite songs, by the way.

@Scheherezade Yeah I think you're pretty darn close. Here's what I'd add:<br /> Verse 1: no notes<br /> <br /> Verse 2: "Fingertips have memories..." He used to be in a relationship, and his sexual desires were being met. But now he's not, and he's remembering the things he and his ex used to do, and of course it makes him horny (a little bit naughty), but when he tries to reach out and form a sexual connection with someone else, nobody is interested ("I run it up the flagpole and see who salutes, but no one ever does") and this lack of desirability is contributing to his mental health problems.<br /> <br /> Chorus (I'm not sick but...): no notes<br /> <br /> Verse 3: (Been around the world...), the only thing I'd add is about the "I don't even own a TV." I think that line is suggesting that he has disdain for people who spend all day in front of the TV and never go out. Those are the stupid breeding people he's talking about. And he doesn't own a TV, implying he doesn't see himself as one of them, but then again, they seem happy, and he's not. So he's torn between the intellectual knowledge that he's better off by not watching TV all day, but the emotional trauma of feeling isolated.<br /> <br /> Verse 4: (Put me in the hospital...) Yeah, he checked himself in because he knew that he didn't feel right, but when the doctors asked someone close to him to describe his symptoms (from an outside perspective), they overplayed the symptoms, betraying him while he was vulnerable, and made the situation even worse. So now he's committed, can't trust his friends, not getting laid, bored, and isolated EVEN MORE. The pressure builds...<br /> <br /> Bridge (Publish 'zines, rage against...): no notes.<br /> <br /> Verse 5 (Paranoia...): Now the narrator trusts no one, so as you said, he's going to "go underground" with other people in the same situation, which shows that he's finally found a group he belongs with: outcasts. The irony here is that in order to find somewhere he belonged, he had to completely turn his back on society. The big holes reference is, I think, intended to convey that there turned out to be a LOT more people like him than he ever expected. Gotta make some big tunnels for that many people to "go underground."<br /> <br /> Verse 6 (Hear the voices...): I think here, he's saying he's still messed up in the head, but he feels more secure now, having found other people who share his predicament. They're sort of all crazy together, but in saying that, he's found a degree of relief and healing. Not TOTAL healing, but a certain degree of tolerance knowing that he isn't really alone after all, and never really was. There's still agony at not feeling right, but the irony of finding other people like him is a big surprise to him.<br />

This is exactly what I think it's about. My mother is to blame for four out of my first seven psychiatric hospitalizations and can't stand this song because it reminds her of it. It'd come on the radio in the car and we'd change the channel every time.

I like this one.

This is an awesome explanation, and I really want to believe it, but that just seems so out there. Amazing story though; +1. I'd love to have a band member confirm this.

dude I agree one hundred percent. even the will part. haha this song is my life.

Agreed. As a teenager myself, I have that feeling of angst and that everything is so screwed up. This song sums up everything I feel right now.

I believe that the first stanza of this song is about masturbation, but the rest of the song does not support that idea. On the other hand, the idea that this song mocks suburban culture and is about the stupidity of suburban culture is not completely true either. I believe that the actual meaning comes from the combination of both these ideas; the author uses the concept of masturbating, a common teenage act, to express the feeling of suburban culture and teenage angst. In my mind, there is no doubt that this song is talking about (Not necessarily mocking it) suburban culture and its ridiculousness. To me, the song especially speaks to teenage culture, the kind that thinks it has problems it doesn't have, and how much of a big deal people make of that kind of thought process. The lyrics "Im not sick but im not well", especially speaks to this; the idea that one does not actually have any problems, but thinks that he isnt ok, for one reason or another. After all, those who live in safe, suburban culture dont have many really important problems, but alot of them think they do, especially teenagers. The statement that "if you connect with this song, then you don't know what you are talking about" is a bit overexaggerated. I am a teenager, a teenager who is familiar with his insecurities and understands the overanxious, obsessive, and occasionaly obnoxious culture he lives in and understands that he is angsty himself. Knowing this, I find that I am able to really connect with this song because it speaks to my observations and puts some light on the world I live in. But in the end, song meanings are interpretive, and to claim that my idea is right is a fallcy.

I believe that the first stanza of this song is about masturbation, but the rest of the song does not support that idea. On the other hand, the idea that this song mocks suburban culture and is about the stupidity of suburban culture is not completely true either. I believe that the actual meaning comes from the combination of both these ideas; the author uses the concept of masturbating, a common teenage act, to express the feeling of suburban culture and teenage angst. In my mind, there is no doubt that this song is talking about (Not necessarily mocking it) suburban culture and its ridiculousness. To me, the song especially speaks to teenage culture, the kind that thinks it has problems it doesn't have, and how much of a big deal people make of that kind of thought process. The lyrics "Im not sick but im not well", especially speaks to this; the idea that one does not actually have any problems, but thinks that he isnt ok, for one reason or another. After all, those who live in safe, suburban culture dont have many really important problems, but alot of them think they do, especially teenagers. The statement that "if you connect with this song, then you don't know what you are talking about" is a bit overexaggerated. I am a teenager, a teenager who is familiar with his insecurities and understands the overanxious, obsessive, and occasionaly obnoxious culture he lives in and understands that he is angsty himself. Knowing this, I find that I am able to really connect with this song because it speaks to my observations and puts some light on the world I live in. But in the end, song meanings are interpretive, and to claim that my idea is right is a fallcy.

The second stanza ("fingertips have memories...") is probably about masturbation, but I don't think the first stanza ("I had visions, I was in them...") is, even though you COULD say that the "visions" are masturbatory fantasies. I agree that the rest of the song has nothing to do with masturbating.

although it is looking at suburban culture i think the focus is more on himself and that he doesnt fit in. so he feels somewhat superior, in intelligence but his superior intelligence is outnumbered and overruled by todays modern idiots.<br /> <br /> the first verse with the mirror is about the realisation that he is just another human and flawed like all the rest, although he doesnt feel like he should be.<br /> <br /> second verse is about masturbation. he is thinking of a girl he once had and the human desires he felt for her, but i suspect at the same time he feels he wont be able to get another woman because he doesnt feel like an ordinary person.<br /> <br /> the chorus "im not sick but im not well" talks about being somewhat depressed. as a result people may think hes sick more so mentally than physically, and he knows he isnt, but at the same time he knows there is something not right with him.<br /> <br /> he also realises that the smart people like himself are not breeding as much. this is because they think to much, and are getting no where causing them to die out.<br /> <br /> the hospital verse is once again about how no one understands him and cant help him. because people are too stupid to understand what hes thinking they diognose him with something they can understand, madness(sickness). in doing that they assume hes crazy but really they just dont understand, and the amputee bit is like witch doctor medicine which occured because the old doctors didnt understand the ilness they were facing much like people dont understand the thoughts hes having.<br /> <br /> the second to last verse is about trying to fit in with them by getting piercings, listening to their music, and trying to kill his brain so that he can fit in and rid himself of his accused madness.<br /> <br /> finally he decides he cant fit in and its like "everybody is out to get me" because they dont understand him, so he want to get away and hide like a mole. this verse also mentions social interaction. he finds what they talk about boring because its stupid, however as a result he doesnt have many topics to speak about, so his thoughts of conversation might as well be "snoring" and as a result of having nothing to talk about he is boring, "then your boring". this is also the irony mentioned at the end, his refusal to talk about something boring is making him boring, and as a result he cant fit in with society, suming up the whole song.